Empowerment
by The Rabid Bunny
Summary: Hinata is about to marry, but feels nothing for her fiance. In a last-ditch attempt to feel something from a man, she sets out on a mission of seduction. What happens when her sights land on everyone's favorite dog-nin? Kiba-centric, mostly. LEMON!


**A/N: So, back when I was writing 'Forced Hand', a reader said that I should try writing a Kiba/Hina fic. This is the result of that little suggestion. It's a little different than what I usually write, but I think it works for the characters. Anyways, enjoy this long lemon-flavored one-shot.**

**Yes, major citrus. It's not only lemony, but it's also limey. I mean complete dirtiness, but not smut. Nope, definitely not smut...  
**

**Don't own these characters, except for the random bar wench.**

Empowerment

He sat at the table in the corner of the little shinobi bar drinking to fill the ache in his little heart. Life, as of two months ago, sucked for poor Inuzuka Kiba.

He had never thought of himself as alone or lonely. No, he was a ninja, and that was what he loved. He lived for the mission and for the thrill of living and dying for his nation. But that had all changed when the announcement had come to his door.

No, scratch that, the actual arrival of the announcement of Hinata's engagement to Neji hadn't thrown his world into a topsy turvy mess. It was actually a week after that at the engagement party.

Kiba, being the heir to the Inuzuka name was obligated to be there, but he also wanted to be there to support his friend and teammate. Of all the people to be thrown into an arranged marriage, why did it have to be _his teammate_? The poor girl was so head-over-heels for that annoying Uzumaki brat, it wasn't even funny. But, she, as heir to the Hyuga name, had her own obligations.

Thus, Kiba had found himself at the Hyuga compound on a Friday night, at an uptight fancy-schmancy party, in a tux. He had really wanted to be elsewhere, doing other...things. Perhaps a couple of other things, maybe a blond and a brunette. But no, here he had been, feigning interest in some other clan's politics, when his own clan's politics had never really mattered to him in the first place.

Hinata had been a vision. Gone were the black sandals, dark blue capri pants, mesh top, and heavy tan overcoat. She had replaced her usual attire with a lovely satin gown. He didn't know what style or type it was. All he knew was that it was the most beautiful shade of lavender, and that it matched her eyes splendidly. She had been so shy at all of the attention, and her face turned the brightest shade of red.

That is, until _he _entered the room. Violet met violet as they looked at one another from across the room. Hinata's blush disappeared completely and her skin went an unbelievable shade of pale. Kiba had moved to help the girl, as he could tell that she was panicking about being in the presence of her fiance. A hand gripped his shoulder hard.

"You know you can't stop her," came Shino's hard voice. Kiba's other teammate was also sans shinobi attire and dressed in an impeccable tuxedo. The Inuzuka understood; he knew that there was no way to rescue the poor drowning girl.

Hinata had never wanted to marry Neji in the first place. She had even tried to denounce her claim to the Hyuga legacy. Her father would hear nothing of it. Arguments that her sister, Hinabi was a better shinobi, therefore, better suited to the role of leadership had done her no good. In actuality, Hyuga Hiashi had had two goals with this match and in forcing Hinata to retain her position as future head of the family. First, he had always felt Hinata weak, thus he wanted her to be a figurehead leader upon his retirement, with himself still pulling the strings from the shadows. Secondly, he had felt that, since she was such a worthless daughter, she at least owed it to him to produce a suitable heir of a grandchild with the most talented shinobi in their clan.

Neji had originally been quite dissatisfied with the arrangement as well. He had wanted to wait to settle down until after he had been in the ninja business for a few years. Maybe even join Anbu. But, instead, at the age of eighteen, he had found himself engaged to his cousin.

When Neji had entered the ball-room, all eyes shifted from husband-to-be to bride-to-be. The two had stood looking at one another, indifference in his eyes, fear in hers. It was at that moment that neither wanted to be there, but both would go through with it because they were duty-bound.

Then, Kiba had wondered to himself about when Neji had become this blathering idiot who chose duty over life and love. Wasn't this the same guy who had nearly killed the girl in an attempt to change his destiny.

And from there, it had only gotten worse.

The Hyugas had decided to have the wedding right away, and they dated it for two months later. Everyone was in an uproar, trying to prepare for the 'biggest wedding in Konoha in a century'. Ino and Chouji both had had to take time off of doing missions in order to help their families. The Yamanakas were in charge of all of the flowers, and the Akamichis were catering. Kiba had not envied those two at all.

It had seemed that all had survived. Well, that was until last night.

"Heya gorgeous." His eyes had focused from where he had been idly staring for the past few...hours. "You are way too good-looking to be so down." It had been that waitress again. He had been frequenting this little bar for a while now. Very few people that he knew even knew it existed, which was great for nights like tonight. Nights when he was way too down to deal with anyone he knew. She always greeted him in the same manner: 'Heya good-lookin', why so glum?' He had focused on her lightly. "How about another drink?" She had asked while sliding a fresh bottle of warm sake his way.

The dog-trainer had given a small smile for a moment before sending her a thankful nod. The woman with strawberry blond hair just winked at him before turning away to attend to other customers.

That was when _she_ walked in.

Black pumps on dainty feet that met with killer legs. She wasn't very tall, but her curves made up for that. Those knock-out legs swept up to creamy thighs that were just barely covered by a short flowing skirt. The skirt flared out due to her shapely hips and narrowed dangerously at a tiny waist. Her upper body was lean and toned, which was made all the more obvious by the back-baring silver halter that she wore. Long deep brown hair, so dark it looked black, but for the purple undertones swept across her shoulders. Then, he had found himself looking into pupil-less violet irises.

What the hell was Hinata doing _here_ looking like _that_?!

He had ogled her once again before clamping his mouth shut. He refused to let himself think of Hinata like that. She was his teammate, for God's sake.

Suddenly, her eyes had locked with his. He saw her face drop slightly, then her brow furrow as if thinking. Suddenly, all emotion on her face disappeared as her lips curled into a smirk and her eyes twinkled.

Odd, when had Hinata's eyes twinkled like that before?

The girl had flipped her hair over a shoulder and sauntered her way over to him; smirk getting wider as his confusion visibly spread across his face. She made it to the table and stood watching him for a moment before demurely asking:

"So, Kiba-kun, are you going ask me to sit or not?" Her lips had formed a perfect little pout.

Demure? Sauntering and pouting? Kiba-kun? What the hell was going on here? Since when had anyone ever called him by that honorific, well, that wasn't a relative?

"Sorry, Hinata-san, please join me." He had motioned for her to sit across from him. Instead, she slid into the booth next to him, brushing her body against him lightly. He had looked at her, confused again.

"It's so noisy in here, how else am I going to be able to hear you?" Another small pout.

The waitress had then come back with another bottle of sake for Kiba and asked Hinata what she wanted. Kiba couldn't help but feel a little tension in the woman's voice. Of course, he seemed to hear that from her from time to time. Always when another woman sat near him. Hmmm...

After a few moments of silence, Kiba had asked his teammate a question.

"Hinata, you're getting married tomorrow, right?" At her nod, he had continued, "Then why are you in this place tonight?" Her eyes then darkened for a second, and she looked as if she were going to bolt. A split second later, the girl had recomposed herself.

That short few seconds of doubt had brought clear realization to the Inuzuka. He knew what she was doing. He had been able smell the fear, doubt, and pain on her.

The girl had given herself to Neji not too long after their engagement. Kiba had smelled it then but said nothing to provoke the deep sadness that welled up in her. But, he had found her crying more than once before their sparring sessions, and knew that it was due to her relationship with her fiance.

Hinata wanted to be loved. That's all she needed and desired. Someone to accept her as the meek, shy girl that she was. This marriage had already scarred her so badly because the man who had taken her innocence had only done so out of duty. Not love.

Kiba had been able to feel it in the woman as she sat next to him. She was looking for someone to give her what she would never get with her husband. Appreciation.

Just as she was about to lean over to answer his question, Kiba had leaned in to her. His breath brushed her hair lightly and he just barely pressed his lips to her ear.

"Hina-chan, do you want get out of here?"

The girl had looked at him, slightly shocked. He could read it on her face. She doubted her seduction skills terribly and wondered how this had happened so quickly. As violet stared into shimmering gold, it dawned on her what he was thinking. The look in Inuzuka Kiba's eyes held nothing lecherous or dirty. That look held understanding.

Slowly, she had nodded her head, not looking away from that face. That expression of deep sincerity and confidence would forever be burned in her mind. Within minutes, he had paid their tab, thanked the waitress, and was leading Hinata out the door.

A few minutes later, Hinata found herself in Kiba's apartment. Well, for the lack of a better word, anyways. It was small; only one room, with a closet and a tiny bathroom to one side. He had a little kitchenette and a small kitchen table on the other side. The main area of the room acted as the living area, but he had no chairs or tables or anything taking up this part of the floor. She assumed that he kept a futon in the closet. It was tiny, but quaint; perfect for a single shinobi who never knew when he may be coming home.

Upon entering the room, Kiba hadn't even bothered turning on the lights. He had guided the girl to stand against the wall as he moved across the room to open the only window there. Soon, Kiba had been standing next to his teammate.

"Hey, Hinata, have I ever shown you my secret spot?" He whispered into her ear, running a hand up her exposed arm. This had been done more in an attempt to comfort than anything, but he could tell by the way she tensed that it had not been taken that way.

"Ummm...n-no?" She had stuttered out. He had sighed inwardly. She was lucky that she had run into him in this little attempt at seducing her way into feeling better about herself. If it had been anyone else, she wouldn't have had a chance to feel this awkward, but she also would have come out of it feeling even worse about herself.

From that one little stuttered answer, the Inuzuka male realized what he needed to do. Originally, he had decided to humor her until she got freaked out enough to realize what she was trying to do, but that had all changed in the blink of a violet eye.

Hinata had needed to be empowered. She had needed to feel like she was in control, and that she was beautiful and desirable. Not that she was just a duty to be done and then cast aside.

Smiling lightly to himself, Kiba had assured himself that he could lock away his dominant nature for one night. He leaned back into Hinata, allowing her scent to fill his nostrils. Boy, did she smell good.

"K-kiba, what are you doing?" The Hyuga princess's body had stiffened again at the odd sensation of being thoroughly scented.

"You smell so fucking good, Hina. I could just eat you up," he had replied huskily into her ear. At the sound of the girl's soft 'eep', he had known that she must be near fainting due to all of the blood that was surely flooding her cheeks.

He had pulled back and grabbed for the girl's hands. "Come on, I want to show you something."

Hinata then stirred slightly as if waking, but hadn't resisted the tug he gave her hands. He had pulled her to the window, then slid out onto the fire escape. Kiba then turned around back toward the inside of his home and valiantly extended his hand to the young woman.

"Don't worry, it's not weird or anything." She had only paused for a second before grasping the proffered hand firmly as he hauled her out onto the landing.

Silently, the girl followed the boy up. They didn't have far to go, since he lived on the next to top floor, and soon they were on the roof.

Hinata had looked around from where she stood next to Kiba on the roof of his building. Near the back, where the building nearly met with the protective wall that surrounded the village, sat a small area that Kiba obviously used as a makeshift living room.

The two then walked toward this area, and Hinata soon came to see a couple of metal chairs situated around a low table. Nothing else, but a wooden chest that sat near the furthest edge, adorned this place.

"It's not much, but I come up here to relax," the boy had spoken sheepishly. "It just gets so cramped in my room. I guess I just need to be..."

"Free," she had cut in so softly that even his Inuzuka ears nearly missed it. The young woman went to the edge of the building and looked across their village. The lights of the many houses and shops twinkled and she couldn't help but feel elated.

"It's so beautiful..." Her soft voice had sighed.

"You can say that again," came Kiba's soft reply. He had been right next to her, and she had looked up sharply at how stealthy he had been. Her breath had caught when she saw that his gaze was not on the horizon but on her. The intensity in those eyes caused the young woman to shiver.

"Are you cold?" He whispered. She wrapped her arms around herself and shook her head from sided to side, eyes drifting back to the twinkle of the village lights.

Her breath caught again when she felt his warmth wrap around her. Kiba, instinctively knowing that the girl was not cold but needed comfort, had put his arms around her body, left arm around her shoulders with right covering her midsection. He had felt her skin instantly heat up as her whole body blushed.

Inuzuka held Hyuga for a long moment, wondering what her reaction would be. After several excruciating minutes, she had sighed as her whole body relaxed against his. She, soft and lean; he, hard and strong. Hinata hadn't been surprised when she heard a low soothing rumbling hum emanate from the dog-nin's chest.

He had continued the humming softly as he began to nuzzle the girl's hair. Kiba really did like the way she smelled. He couldn't resist lowering his head to catch even more of the woman's scent and soon found himself kissing her ear and just below it along her jaw line.

Hinata's body had been trembling by this point and not from the cool breeze that was blowing. The breeze was actually quite nice, considering how much her body temperature had been rising in the past few minutes. Kiba had hardly touched her and she was near panting with excitement. It was excruciating, and with his slow tongue-flicks to her earlobe, she was near going mad. She had to taste _him_.

With the speed and grace of a kunoichi, Hinata had turned into Kiba's embrace. He had been startled to suddenly find himself face-to-face with an emboldened Hinata. Her eyes had roamed his face for a second, and he had responded with a smirk that showed just a bit of fang.

_He's the devil_, was all the girl could think as she pulled him in tightly for a kiss.

Now, the Hyuga princess was not as inexperienced with the art of kissing as one might think. She had stolen one from Naruto once...at Christmas...under the mistletoe. She had also experimented, as most young girls do, with her female friends. Plus, she had been with Neji, so she knew the dynamics. But she had no idea of how to initiate one.

Her lips had tentatively met Kiba's, and his smile had grown wide enough to let two fangs slip. This drove her over the edge. Why was he looking at her like that? It wasn't quite at leer, but she didn't know what else it was. It was driving her insane.

She then pressed her lips, followed by her whole body, more forcefully to his. He had reacted in kind by running his tongue across her bottom lip, trying to get her to deepen their lip-lock. Unsure of the sensation, and running low on breath, Hinata pulled back slightly. That little pull-back had allowed her to open her mouth for a breath, and he took his chance to slip his tongue in.

Her gasp had given him all the more room to move. He had known that she was inexperienced, so he had kept the kiss light and explorative. His tongue roved her mouth and he coaxed her into his to do the same. When they broke for breath, he had just enough time to sight her hazy expression before she pulled him in again.

This time, the kiss had been demanding and she had pushed into his mouth with a will. He let her explore and dominate to her heart's content.

After a long while of kissing and kissing and kissing, Kiba's body was nearly as hot as Hinata's . He had needed to touch her. So he let his hands slip from where he had been holding her around her shoulders and waist. One hand then snaked into the girl's hair, so soft and feathery, as the other ran up and down her bare back causing goose bumps and sighs.

Hinata was soon following his lead and exploring his own body with her hands. She had plunged with both hands into his deep brown hair only to pull them back out to rub both palms down his back, then back up, then across his thick shoulders to his muscular arms. Those arms held her tightly and she loved the way the sinew constricted as he further tightened his grip.

Suddenly, Kiba had pulled away. She had nearly toppled over when his arms left her body. She felt his heat move away as he had walked toward the edge of the roof to where the wooden chest sat. He then opened it and rummaged for a little while. The girl returned her gaze to the quiet darkness of the village that they both called home. The view from this rooftop was absolutely breathless, but what had awaited her when she turned back around was undoubtedly heart-stopping.

Kiba had dug up a few blankets and had arranged them on the floor into a type of palette. He sat atop said homemade futon smirking at her looking rather roguish. He had looked like the cat who had just caught the canary. She had gulped audibly.

"Come here beautiful," he had practically purred while patting the place next to him. Lighting up with yet another blush, the girl was soon sitting by his side. It took no time for the male's need to dominate took hold once again, and soon had them returning to the heat and passion at which they had left off.

He had kissed her thoroughly, as if trying to taste every part of her. When his lips weren't pressed firmly against hers, they were at her neck, jaw, and ear. He had grunted lightly every so often to let her know how much he was enjoying himself. The girl vaguely thought that this was what it must be like to be ravished completely.

Then, it was her turn to surprise him. Acting as if their intensity had become too much for her, she took their kisses over with a dominance that would have rivaled any Inuzuka. Her body had pressed against his, silently begging to be touched. And touch, he did.

Kiba's hands then roamed the woman's back, thighs, legs. Anywhere he could touch bare skin. The goose-bumps on her flesh had matched the tingling in his own where her hands lightly brushed. She was slowly gaining enough confidence in her actions to let her hands explore his body. She had traced soft circles down his arms and back and even dipped her fingers beneath the hem of his mesh shirt in an effort to touch his own heated skin.

Hinata was the one who broke their long series of lip-locks in an effort to run her tongue across his ear, down to his throat. This had felt odd to the man, since he had never bared his throat to anyone in his life. But, this was a learning experience for the woman, and he had needed to let her know that she was in charge, even if she didn't realize what his body language said. He did not realize, however, that since they had been teammates for so long, she knew more about his clan's ways than most. She knew full and well what she had requested and what he had relented.

It was then that Kiba was shocked by the shy young princess for the millionth time that evening.

The woman had pushed back in his embrace and looked into his eyes as if searching for something. He had seen a flash of fire in those light colored eyes, one that did not bode well considering that the red tint to her skin was no longer due to blushes. She had looked at him long enough for the dog-boy to begin to get nervous. But just as he was about to ask what was wrong, she had placed a finger on his lips, shushing him quietly.

"Thank you," she had whispered before closing in pulling the man into another bout of long, hard kisses.

He then reached to the back of the woman's neck and made to untie the string that held her top in place. His hand was one small tug away from revealing more of her to him before he had stopped as if realizing what he had started to do. The girl would have none of that, and she had reached back to use his hand to untie the blouse.

The shining material had cascaded down the front of her body, reflecting lightly in the glow from the stars in the sky. Her milky skin was almost incandescent, and she had blushed beautifully once again. Kiba's hot mouth attacked her viciously; running his tongue from her collar bone to the valley between her breasts. One hand released its grip on her body and cupped one of the soft mounds as his mouth sought the other. The girl had nearly screamed when his fang nipped a hardened nipple.

Her swift hands, nimble with excited passion made little work of pulling his mesh shirt off of him. And as he went back to lavishing attention to her body, she became acquainted with the contours of his back and chest. It was wonderful how the Inuzuka's muscles rippled with each movement. But, what had turned her on to the fullest was how his skin would flinch at the slightest touch of a finger. His whole body had been on alert with anticipation.

Soon, both were relieving the other of the rest of their garments. She had stolen his pants and boxers easily enough, but he'd had difficulty in taking her skirt and panties. The look of confusion that furrowed his brow was intoxicating. When she had asked what was wrong, his answer was so serious, but so...dirty.

"I don't know if I want to take the skirt off or if I want to make love with you with it on." Her gasp had made him look up in alarm, and he had answered her questioning glare smoothly. "You just look so damned sexy in it...but." He ripped the offending piece of cloth away and leaned in to kiss her mouth once more. After another prolonged kiss, he had stated breathily, "You look even better without it."

The next thing she knew, Hinata had been flat on her back, and it only fleetingly registered that she was about to have sex on the roof of a building in the middle of the village where anyone could see and hear. When she felt his tongue flick her core where her panties has just been, all thought had ceased. Well, except that she'd had no idea when he had stolen her undergarment.

That first little flick of the tongue sent the girl reeling. Her body had shuddered, and he had hummed softly in satisfaction. Another long, slow lick followed the first. She looked down at him and noticed a positively feral gleam in his golden eyes.

"You taste so fucking good..." he had whispered into her, which made her whimper like a puppy. That small sound had urged the dog-nin on, and soon he had set a heated pace with his tongue that made the normally quiet girl all-but shout his name. It took nothing to bring her to her peak.

He had felt her body tense as she slid into the nothingness of orgasm-induced bliss and utilized her euphoric state to shift his body over hers. Before the woman's last pleasure-filled shudder tore through her body, he had thrust himself into her. Hazy, deep purple eyes shot open at the new sensation. His quick, hard entrance into her depths had nearly pulled her into another orgasm. Then, he _moved_.

The hard, toned body of a seasoned shinobi had pulled away from her for a split second before he thrust into her once again. Hinata's eyes rolled back into her head and she couldn't stop the pleas that poured from her. With just two strokes, the man had had her begging and whining for more. That is, between the mewls and cries from sheer ecstasy.

Kiba had felt it, too. This woman was so small and frail looking, but he knew that she had the fire of a kunoichi inside of her. This fire only needed the right catalyst to bring it into the open. Suddenly, with all the speed of a canine, he had readjusted their position.

Hinata had been surprised to find herself straddled atop Kiba with her hands splayed across his chest.

"W-what...?" she had started to ask but was cut off by a low growl before his lips crashed into hers with bruising force. Not relinquishing his hold on her mouth, the Inuzuka had then slowly pushed up into her core, telling her what she needed to do. This was her show, and it was time for her to take the reins.

After a few slow pumps, she girl had gotten the gist that this position was purely for her benefit. She could control speed, depth, and angle, which had put their love-making in her hands. She would be the dominant force. A slow smile had broken out across her reddened lips. Kiba finally let her mouth free to see what she was smiling about.

With a hard, quick downward thrust that had sent him reeling, he knew. She had realized that he was giving in to her whims, and she...liked it.

She bit her lower lip in concentration. That mixed with the lust-crazed gleam in her eyes had nearly made Kiba lose himself right there, but he calmed his raging libido with one thought. Neji would probably never fulfill her, and that one inkling had made him ill. The thought that this night was probably the only night of true passion that Hinata would ever know had driven the Inuzuka to school himself until she had been spent several times.

The girl's downward strokes had started slow and long, but soon picked up speed with each time their bodies came in contact. Her body moved up and down with intent, and Kiba had met her thrust for thrust.

He had lain there admiring the young princess's body as she brought herself pleasure using his body like a tool. Her skin was fully flushed, but not from embarrassment; their heated contact had nearly driven her mad. As he had watched her face, with eyes closed in deep concentration, he hadn't been able help but feel a pang of jealousy toward the Hyuga who had claimed her. That man would never truly appreciate the beauty that had been forced into his bed.

Kiba's ears had perked when he sensed a change in the woman's heartbeat. She was getting close. He had snaked both hands up her body and used his calloused fingers to knead her soft breasts. Light pinches to both nipples elicited sharp gasps that were followed by keening moans as she crashed over the edge of her pleasure. Kiba felt her body tense once again, and her inner muscles contracted sharply. The slight breeze had carried the woman's heady scent to his nostrils, and he had reveled in the strength of her pleasured fragrance.

The scent of her orgasm was what sent him into oblivion. The young woman's body had gone lax, and he had leaned up to capture her mouth while thrusting wildly into her. A few strokes along, and he had come into his own climax.

Hinata had nearly panicked at the ferocity of Kiba's orgasm. He had clutched onto her tightly, and she was sure that her ribs may crack at any moment. But, before she could react, his body slumped and he had flopped back onto the blankets. He then pulled her down with him, so that they could lie together for a moment and catch their breaths.

The Hyuga princess had opened her eyes to find that she was lying on a futon, under a blanket, inside a room. After she had fallen asleep, Kiba must have moved them into his home. She blinked a few times, trying to clear her eyes of the crusted sleep that had covered them. One look at the window told her that it was nearing dawn.

The young woman stood from the bed quietly, trying not to wake the softly dozing man who had his back turned to her. She glanced around and saw her dress folded neatly on the floor next to the door. He had apparently expected her to wake in the night and leave.

She had dressed with all of the stealth of a kunoichi, and had slipped out the door into the hall. Before heading back to her home, she had leaned her forehead against the door and whispered:

"Thanks, Kiba."

Her whispered appreciation had found its way to the sensitive ears of an Inuzuka male who had only been pretending to sleep. He had brought her to his house because he had figured it would be easier for her to leave when the time came. He had been right.

The wedding went off without a hitch. Bride and groom were their normal selves. Neji, indifferent and cool. Hinata meek and shy. However, at the reception, many had commented on the soft smile that she wore and the fact that she did not seem so sad. Her reply was that she was finally ready to fulfill her duties to her clan. It seemed that Kiba had been the only person to understand her cryptic response.

She was content with leading her clan and marrying her cousin strictly because she had finally learned what it felt like to be cherished and appreciated. That was really what that night had been about, and Kiba couldn't help his own soft smile at the thought that he had given her that.

This new found happiness had only lasted a few minutes for Kiba, however. At the reception, he had often found himself leaning against a random wall watching all of his friends. It seemed that while he hadn't been paying attention, his friends had taken to their roles as adult shinobi and had begun to get married and have children. For God's- sake, even that idiot Uchiha had snagged some silly village girl who didn't mind being used as an incubator for the revival of his clan.

Thus, Kiba found himself sitting in his new favorite hangout, trying to drink himself stupid.

"Hey, gorgeous, you look like someone kicked your puppy." It was that waitress again. A low growl was heard from Akamaru who sat under the table, but he did little else by way or reaction. Kiba only sighed and looked up into her infectiously smiling face.

Her hair looked like it had been kissed by the sunset, and it practically glowed in the low light of the room. Her sparkling eyes were nearly the same shade as her hair. She stood calmly for just a minute before sitting another bottle of sake in front of him.

Kiba sat staring at the bottle for who knew how long before he was bombarded with a slightly familiar scent. 'She even smells like sunshine,' he found himself thinking as the pretty young waitress slid into the booth next him.

"Hey, hon, it's closing time," she spoke softly. Kiba glanced around the room and saw that there were no other patrons at the tables or bar. The sign on the window had been shut off.

He moved to stand in order to pay his tab and leave, when he felt a light touch on his arm.

"Sit down, hon. Tell me what's wrong. You always have a sad look in your eye, but, tonight... Tonight, you look like you lost everything that ever meant anything to you." Her voice was soft and sad, as if she thought that if she spoke above whisper, he might run away.

Kiba found himself sitting back in his seat. Something about the way her eyes sparkled told him that she really wanted to listen. He felt compelled to tell her his story, and he knew that she wouldn't judge him.

As he slowly began to unravel the cause for his pain to this woman, Kiba got the unique feeling that he would never feel alone again.

And from that night on, he never did.

fin

**Hope you liked this, and don't forget to review.**

**I think I'm done with Kiba now, but I will probably be returning to Sakura. **

**Catch ya'll later!**


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